May 2nd, 2016 Council Minutes
Once approved, a link to the official council minutes will be at the bottom.
COUNCIL MINUTES
May 2, 2016
St. Clairsville City Council met in Council Chambers on Monday, May 2, 2016 with the following present
Jim Weisgerber, Council President Terry Pugh, Mayor
Mark Bukmir, Council 3rd Ward Tom Murphy, Planning & Zoning Administrator
Linda Jordan, Council-At-Large Cindi Henry, Finance Director
Beth Oprisch, Council-At-Large Dennis Bigler, Service Director
Jake Olsavsky, Council, 1st Ward Richard Myser, Law Director
Frank Sabatino, Council 2nd ward Jeff Henry, Police Chief
Mike Smith, Council-At-Large Don Smithberger, Electric Superintendent
David Trouten, Council, 4th Ward Shelley Fortney, Utility Office Manager
The meeting was called to order by Council President Jim Weisgerber
MINUTES
Minutes of the April 18, 2016 regular meeting were distributed to Council. A motion to accept the minutes of the April 18, 2016 meeting was made by Jake Olsavsky and seconded by David Trouten.
Roll Call Vote
Bukmir Yes
Jordan Yes Sabatino Yes
Oprisch Yes Smith Abstain
Olsavsky Yes Trouten Yes
Roll Call Vote: Six (6) Yes One (1) Abstain Zero (0) No Motion Approved
CITIZENS HEARING:
Tom Shaw, 122 Woodrow Avenue
What I have got and it has been going on for a good while. We have been just kind of going after it and hitting it and not hitting it and some of it is my fault for not staying after it. Down here on Woodrow right across from the school bus garage there is a storm sewer and when it is a heavy rain that whole area fills up. I am told the reason that area fills up with water is because the storm sewer is broke somewhere down through there. Now what is happening is the guy who owned the property next to me, I think a bank owns it now. This whole structure is falling over but I don’t know if the reason of the storm sewer. My basement is so wet every time it rains like as if that storm sewer could be backing up. Now I am noticing in my house the room is starting to sag and I don’t know if that is from the storm sewer either. But I would like to see if we could get a camera and I understand the City does not have a camera they have to borrow one or rent one. If they could run the camera down through there and see if there is a break or limbs or vines grown into the storm sewer and see if we couldn’t do something about it. If they couldn’t do anything about it maybe I could get with my equipment and with the permission of the city to see if I couldn’t go there and dig it up somehow to help out. So that is the end of my story. Dennis Bigler: That is a very reasonable request. Have you talked to somebody in the city already sir? Tom Shaw: I talked with Richard, he is in charge of the maintenance and stuff, what is his last name? Dennis Bigler: Rich Smith? Tom Shaw: Yes, I talked to him a couple of times and I met him one time and he has never got back to me. It is some my fault too because I didn’t keep perusing it either. I never came up here either. Dennis Bigler: We have a camera in the Water/Sewer Department. If our camera is too small to get down through it we can use a contractor to do it. That is a reasonable request and I will be happy to have us do that. Tom Shaw: I appreciate that. Dennis Bigler: If you would give me a call tomorrow assume it is settled. Tom Shaw: Thank you I appreciate it.
REPORTS
Service Director, Dennis Bigler
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We have had a lot of personnel stuff since I have seen you last. That is what we have been spending our time on. We have a tentative offer to a Street Department employee following up on our interviews. We are out there advertising for a lineman again. We also have given a test for the FOP and we are going to do some interviews on some of the candidates that the Civil Service has certified for an officer position.
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We are investigating what is called Flash Boards on the overflow at the main reservoir to see if we can slightly raise the level of the reservoir. There has been some changes in the standards that ODNR the Department of Natural Resources has that applies to that. We think the standards may permit us to do that. What that means is, like we talked in Utility tonight, more storage of water, more water and less County water being purchased. We are investigating that. It is fairly low cost about $3,800 to have Hull do a study. We are also putting a diver down to inspect why we are having a little bit of a problem getting water through our main line into the Plant at the rate we normally did. We think we could have a partial obstruction there. So under Hull’s supervision a diver will be going down and take a look at that sometime fairly soon.
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We are also going to sign a small contract for a small job with Pittsburgh Tank & Iron to put a robotic camera in our water tanks. We used to have to drain the water tanks, put them out of service a guy climbs up goes in inspects and then disinfects and fills it up. Now it is all done with a disinfected camera to begin with. It is robotic, we control it from the ground watching everything that is going on. So we are inspecting the tanks just to see what kind of condition both tanks are in.
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That is a few of the main things that have been happening recently. We are trying to get a Street Department paving list ready. Hopefully we will have that for the next Council Meeting.
Mayor, Terry Pugh
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I want to remind everybody that the St. Clairsville observance of The National Day of Prayer will be Thursday at 11:30 in the Courthouse Plaza.
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The Street Department is still out patching in different neighborhoods although we are short a worker now. Dennis Bigler: Not too much longer. Mayor Pugh: We have another worker off having back surgery. So we hope that our present employee is back soon and we will also hire a new employee.
Police Report for April 2016
Calls and Complaints 227
Special Teams Call Outs 0
Accidents 13
Arrests 25
Parking Tickets Issued 38
Traffic Stops 51
Miles put on Cruisers 5,631
Gasoline Used 529.3 gallons
Police Chief, Jeff Henry – No Report
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Frank Sabatino: I would like to thank Chief Henry for working on a matter that I brought to his attention at the last meeting
Finance Director, Cindi Henry – No Report
Planning & Zoning Administrator, Tom Murphy
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The Planning Commission met this evening. There were two items discussed at the meeting no action is required by Council on either of them.
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The first item is Kelly’s Suite II they proposed their final plan to the Planning Commission, they did approve that plan four to zero.
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The second item was a zoning amendment request for a 1.7 acre parcel owned by Jack Malik known as 100 High Street from CD Corridor District to OI Office and Institution District. A staff report was presented but the Planning Commission did not make a decision on the matter. They did table it until the petitioner developed a traffic impact study. There were concerns brought up about traffic and access points, that was their condition so any decision on that has been tabled and if you have any questions feel free to ask. Beth Oprisch: Were there people here. Tom Murphy: There was probably about 15 people here some of them in favor of the zone change some opposed. I determined that maybe the majority were ok with it at least the rezoning of the property. Beth Oprisch: You are talking about the Malik house. Tom Murphy: Yes. For Kelly’s Suite II there was no one present except Kelly and her Engineer Jeff Vaughn the plan was approved. There was a dumpster that was part of this plan to be screened and Kelly said that she has eliminated that all together.
Beth Oprisch: The zoning at 100 High Street what were the objections? Tom Murphy: The objections some were related to the fact that it might be changed from residential to nonresidential. There was one couple that were present that had that concern, the majority had concerns of traffic over all. When I say traffic I mean not an increase but how people will access the property and exiting the property. High Street that was a main concern for the residents there, if an access is put to that point, it is difficult to see now. Trying to see you can’t exit that is a dangerous spot right there and with children in the neighborhood that was their concern. That is why the Planning Commission did not make a decision they decided to table it. They told the Petitioner that they would have to come back with a traffic study that would look at those concerns. David Trouten: Going back to the Malik property, the business that would be there, how many employees would it have and how many customers per day would it have? Tom Murphy: Hull and Associates was the possible business they were driving the zone change to some degree. They would have 9 employees so there wouldn’t be a huge number of employees that would be on the site. They thought that maybe they would hire two more bringing that up to 11. As far as different entities coming to the business they said maybe two or three times a week they get a customer or client that comes to the business. Most of it is done off site. So there wasn’t a huge amount of traffic impact with this proposed business. Frank Sabatino: What exactly does Hull & Associates do? Tom Murphy: They are a combination of Engineering Firm, Consulting Firm, they work with the oil and gas industry A.J. Smith runs the office that is here, he is from St. Clairsville. The question was brought up after the meeting are you here just for the oil and gas industry or are you going to be a long term business A.J. Smith’s response was I am from St. Clairsville I would like to retire from this location. David Trouten: The danger is they don’t do it and we rezone it and another business goes in there with more traffic. Tom Murphy: Hull & Associates is proposing 9 employees so you figure 9 vehicle and some business vehicles another office could have more employees and another could have less. When a property is rezoned it is rezoned to that zoning district and it is a permitted use that must move in there and you are obligated to approve that with conditions. Linda Jordan: So this is just zoned for office? Tom Murphy: They are proposing Office and Institution uses. Right now it is residential.
COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Finance, David Trouten – No Report
Utilities, Frank Sabatino
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As Dennis mentioned in his report Utilities met this evening and we had a lengthy discussion on water & sewage. I appreciate Don Smithberger, Shelley Fortney and Scott Brown for attending the meeting.
Police, Mark Bukmir
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As Jeff said we are going to interview prospective police officers this week and Beth is going to represent the Police Committee. Jeff Henry: I would like to meet for a few minutes after the meeting if we have time.
Street North Side, Jake Olsavsky – No Report
Street South Side, Linda Jordan – No Report
Safety, Beth Oprisch – No Report
Building & Grounds, Mark Bukmir — No Report
Planning Commission, Mike Smith – I have nothing to add to Tom’s report
Fire District, Frank Sabatino
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We met on Wednesday, April 20th we discussed contracts with outside agencies EMS contract. We also discussed personnel and minor repairs to the facility
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Our next meeting will be Wednesday, May 18th at 3:00
Recreation, David Trouten – No Report
Park District, Linda Jordan
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They had no meeting, it was canceled but the next meeting which is next Monday, May 9th will start their meetings of the second and forth Monday of the month which will be held at the Park.
ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS:
Law Director, Richard Myser
Your agenda indicates that we have two ordinances tonight for the first reading we actually only have one it is 2016-21 we emailed a copy of that to everyone and you also have a hard copy in front of you. It is an Ordinance for permanent appropriations for the normal expenses for the period January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. Cindi Henry: This basically is the monies that we obtained from ODOT not that we physically got it in hand but we have to book it on our books and take it off our books so this is just one of the steps that has to be done in order for us to be compliant with the State Auditors. Richard Myser: Tonight will be the first reading, there is emergency language in it if you want to suspend the rules and pass it after the first reading you can and it will become effective immediately. That is all the legislation I have this evening. Nobody has contacted me regarding an executive session Beth Oprisch: So we have not spent $418,000? Cindi Henry: Well the project did, we didn’t personally put out any of that money it came directly from ODOT and went directly to the contractor.
There was presented and read to Council on its first reading by title only, ORDINANCE NO. 2016-21; AN ORDINANCE TO MAKE PERMANENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE NORMAL EXPENSES AND OTHER EXPENDITURES OF THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE, STATE OF OHIO, FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2016 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2016, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
OLD BUSINESS:
Beth Oprisch: Council has to appoint two people to the R.I.T.A. Board. I have two names that I would like to put forth to Council. Thinking about the interest that people demonstrated when we had a vacancy I thought that it might be a good idea to go back to that list. Jim Weisgerber has talked to a couple of people and they have agreed to serve in that capacity. I would like to nominate Doug Longenette and Mike Kasper. Jim Weisgerber: It has been moved do we have a second? David Trouten seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
Bukmir Yes
Jordan Yes Sabatino Yes
Oprisch Yes Smith Yes
Olsavsky Yes Trouten Yes
Roll Call Vote: Seven (7) Yes Zero (0) No Motion Approved
NEW BUSINESS:
David Trouten: Since Dennis’s retirement is starting too rapidly approach are we on that as far as getting a new replacement? Clerk: We have 32 applications. Terry Pugh: We have a timetable for the applications, they have to be in by May 16th. Then we will be looking at setting up some interviews. I have asked Clemans – Nelson to provide a person to help us with these interviews and that is where we are right now. One problem is we are getting quite a few resumes from people strong in Police or Safety background instead of actual city administration. We are going to take a look at the job description that is on our website The Safety is actually a very small part of Dennis’s responsibilities. We hope to hire someone by the middle of June and there will be a month overlap between Dennis and the new Service Director.
NEXT MEETING:
The next meeting will be held on Monday, May 16, 2016 at 7:30 in Council Chambers.
There being no other business to come before Council a motion to adjourn was made by Jake Olsavsky and seconded by Linda Jordan.